Meet Billie Lopez and Tootie Maldonado-Ellman of SONOMAMA in Highland Park

Today we’d like to introduce you to Billie Lopez and Tootie Maldonado-Ellman.

Billie and Tootsie, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
In 2005, we took up a small corner in a friend’s boutique in Echo Park. It was the perfect way to get a feel for the customers and see if people responded to our curation. Less than a year later, we moved into our own space in Silver Lake. Our shop was Reform School and was one of the first retail experiences that focused on sustainable materials and local artists.

Fast forward to 2016, with inflated rents and a changing demographic in Silver Lake, we decided to make a big change and start anew in Highland Park. This was an opportunity for a clean slate and a chance to make a long overdue shift. We wanted our new space to reflect who we are today and be a physical manifestation of what we want in our lives.

With a minimal and modern approach to the Wabi-Sabi philosophy, we have carefully curated a selection of wares that celebrate the art and beauty of ritual, energy and natural elements. The name SONOMAMA (a Japanese word meaning ‘Just as you are’ or ‘in your natural state’) perfectly defined these ideas and was also a nod to both our appreciation of Japanese aesthetics and design.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Just two years in and it’s still a struggle. Retail is definitely not for the faint of heart!

With boutiques on every corner and places like Amazon, it can be difficult to sustain, especially in an up and coming neighborhood like Highland Park.

And although we appreciate it when customers refer to us as their “best-kept secret” we appreciate it, even more, when they spread the word!

Please tell us about SONOMAMA.
After 12 plus years in retail, we knew we wanted to curate a space that did more than just showcase pretty items on a shelf. We really wanted to evoke a certain feeling in people when they walk through our door. Not only a sense of peace and calm but unspoken energy that inspires you to find the sacred in the mundane.

In a world of sensory overload, we set out to create a multi-sensory retail experience that is soothing rather than stressful. We are proud to know that we have created something that is incredibly meaningful and personal to us in which people have responded in such a positive way.

If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
ANGEL INVESTOR!

Contact Info:

• Address: 5711 N. Figueroa Street. Los Angeles, Ca 90042
• Website: www.shopsonomama.com
• Phone: 323-274-4430
• Email: shopsonomama@gmail.com

Image Credit:
Shad Davis

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